* * * * * * * * * T E R R I E 'S T A K E * * * * * * *<br>A weekly roundup of news & information from Terrie Lloyd.<br>(<a href="http://www.terrie.com">http://www.terrie.com</a>)<br><br>General Edition Sunday, September 18, 2011, Issue No. 630<br>
<br>+++ INDEX<br><br>- What's New -- Rare Animals as Pets in Japan<br>- News -- Tax hikes in 2012<br>- Candidate Roundup/Vacancies<br>- Upcoming Events<br>- Corrections/Feedback -- More on Drug Mule acquittal<br>- News Credits<br>
<br>SUBSCRIBE to, UNSUBSCRIBE from Terrie's Take at:<br><a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie">http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie</a><br><br>BACK ISSUES<br><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take">http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take</a>, or,<br>
<a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/">http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/</a><br><br><br>----------- UPGRADE TODAY TO PBXL IP TELEPHONY ------------<br><br>PBXL has the solution for your office. PBXL will purchase<br>
and dispose of your outdated, unsupported phone system and<br>provide you with state-of-the-art Cisco VoIP telephony.<br><br>Designed with scalable enterprise level functionality for<br>companies ranging from two seats to two hundred, PBXL is<br>
the perfect cost-effective solution when opening an office,<br>expanding a business, or rolling out a new BCP location.<br><br>For additional information call us anytime at 03-4550-1600,<br>e-mail us at <a href="mailto:info@pbxl.jp">info@pbxl.jp</a> or visit <a href="http://en.pbxl.co.jp/">http://en.pbxl.co.jp/</a><br>
<br>------------ PBXL is BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS --------------<br><br><br>+++ WHAT'S NEW<br><br>Taking advantage of the long weekend and with the weather <br>still being so hot and all, it seemed like a good idea to <br>
take an cycle ride through the local park, which for us is <br>Yoyogi Koen. The thing that strikes you about almost any <br>urban park in Tokyo is the number of people taking pets for<br>a walk, versus kids. No surprise really, given that there <br>
are more dogs (in 2009 12.3m) than kids under the age of 12<br>in Japan.<br><br>You get to see some interesting pets being taken for a walk<br>in the park. Yoyogi is a favorite for tortoise owners, and <br>there is one lady who religiously takes her tortoise for a <br>
walk every morning -- we always see her in the same spot, <br>even after an hour's work out... ;-). Actually, the ponds <br>in Yoyogi Koen are also a favorite for pet owners whose <br>turtles have outgrown their apartments, to be set free. The<br>
reptiles get discovered in late Fall when the park <br>maintenance people drain the ponds.<br><br>We've also seen ferrets, all kinds of birds, small monkeys,<br>and other kinds of pets at the park. This got us to <br>
thinking about the Japanese passion for unusual pets and <br>pets in general.<br><br>The most popular pets for Japanese are dogs then cats. The <br>Japan Pet Food Association (JPFA) reckons that in 2009 <br>there were 12.3m dogs and 10m cats. The Ministry of Health <br>
says that there were 6.88m registered dogs in the same <br>year, so obviously many dogs sold are not registered. Nor, <br>as we found out, are they microchipped. According to the <br>authority controlling such things, AIPO, only 369,860 dogs <br>
in Japan were microchipped as of March 2011, a compliance <br>rate of just 0.25% of the overall population.<br><br>[Continued below...]<br><br>-- NAGAMINE & MISHIMA - Securing Your Success in Japan ---<br><br>Starting a new company in Japan? Looking to streamline <br>
your current operations?<br><br>The team of bilingual experts at Nagamine & Mishima is able<br>to provide high quality accounting, payroll and tax <br>services that both exceed expectations and fit your budget.<br>Our services help customers improve their operations and <br>
bottom line results. <br><br>To find out more about our services and how we can help <br>your business in Japan succeed, please visit our website <br><a href="http://www.nagamine-mishima.com">www.nagamine-mishima.com</a> or reach us directly by telephone<br>
at 03-3581-1975 or by email at <a href="mailto:info@nagamine-mishima.com">info@nagamine-mishima.com</a>.<br><br>---------- YOUR BOTTOM LINE IS OUR TOP PRIORITY------------<br><br>[...Article continues]<br><br>We did some research on the more unusual creatures <br>
available for sale, most of which come from online pet <br>stores. A popular but endangered animal is the Slow Loris, <br>(Nycticebus coucang), a nocturnal, tree-climbing primate <br>native to Southeast Asia. These little guys are really <br>
cute and for that reason are most often bought by women. <br>Probably if those women knew that the species has a toxic <br>bite and that they are cruelly de-toothed by pet traders <br>prior to sale, they wouldn't support the trade. At present <br>
you can buy a Slow Loris for JPY300,000 to JPY400,000.<br><br>Another very cute animal that is zooming up the popularity <br>charts is the Fennec Fox from the Arabian Peninsular and <br>North Africa. The Fennec Fox weighs just 1.5kg and has huge<br>
15cm+ ears that make it look like the Disney Stitch <br>character. These animals are not endangered, and in the USA<br>are actually one of only two types of fox that are approved<br>to be kept as a pet. They are rared by removing from the <br>
mother at an early age, so as to restrain the development <br>of natural aggressive characteristics. After such raring <br>they can apparently be kept in an apartment, much like a <br>dog or cat. You can buy Fennec Foxes for around JPY700,000 <br>
for a male and JPY800,000 for a female. <br><br>Other rare animals include Asian Small-clawed Otters (Aonyx<br>cinerea) for JPY700,000, Indian Star Tortoises (Geochelone <br>elegans) for JPY25,000 to JPY30,000, and Hercules stag <br>
beetles from Central or South America for JPY50,000 to <br>JPY60,000. Now, these are the legally sold animals. There <br>are many instances of rare, illegal sales taking place in<br>Japan, but only interested collectors know of their <br>
availability.<br><br>"Legally sold" doesn't mean legally procured. The problem <br>with the Japanese law is that there is a "home free" <br>aspect, allowing smugglers who having successfully gotten <br>
past Customs are then able to go ahead and sell their <br>victims on the Internet. Even trying to get past Customs <br>is just a slap on the wrist. The Tokyo Today site has an <br>article several years ago about the fact that smugglers <br>
simply obfuscate the species description, and if the <br>animal is not on the Convention on International Trade in <br>Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) list of <br>900 endangered animals, then they are generally allowed <br>
in. Further, so long as smugglers don't specifically lie <br>about having an animal, generally the most that happens to <br>them if they get stopped is that the animal is confiscated <br>and the smuggler gets off scot free. In 2008 there were <br>
only 341 prosecutions of animal smugglers using Narita <br>Airport.<br><br>The smuggling problem is endemic in Japan and the country <br>often features high on the list of preferred sales <br>destinations. Not just endangered species, almost anything <br>
that moves is smuggled. For example, hermit crabs and stag <br>beetles. Three tons of hermit crabs are sold every year by<br>pet shops to kids, and most are apparently smuggled in. <br>Complicit in the trading of such vulnerable animals are a <br>
small group of underground dealers, who are either one of <br>the 6,154 registered pet shops, or one of the approx. 6,500<br>"other" retailers who handle pets, or they are one of a <br>vast and unknown number of internet advertisers. <br>
<br>Although the law on animal protection and rules about the <br>sale of animals have been updated a number of times, the <br>problem is that animal protection is just not viewed by the<br>judiciary or police as a pressing issue, and so the laws <br>
are vague and getting prosecutions is difficult. There are <br>sickening cases of animal torture by sadists who have <br>posted their acts on the internet, been caught, then let <br>off with suspended fines. In such an environment, it's <br>
hard to imagine that the trade of rare animals is going to <br>change any time soon.<br><br>If you want to see some of the rare animals that can be <br>purchased online in Japan, here is a list of websites that <br>we found:<br>
<br>* Animal planning, <a href="http://anipla.ocnk.net/">http://anipla.ocnk.net/</a><br>* Science factory, <a href="http://sf-japan.ocnk.net/">http://sf-japan.ocnk.net/</a><br>* Inner city zoo Noah, <a href="http://www.kentosh.co.jp/noah/">http://www.kentosh.co.jp/noah/</a><br>
* Noah’s Ark, <a href="http://arkpet.ocnk.net/">http://arkpet.ocnk.net/</a><br>* Bidders (Auction site), <a href="http://www.bidders.co.jp/categ/931">http://www.bidders.co.jp/categ/931</a><br><br>*************<br><br>Lastly, just a reminder to try out the excellent Tasmanian <br>
9th Island Chardonnay at Metropolis' new online wine shop. <br>A little oak, light but balanced acidity from the low <br>temperature location, extremely drinkable, and just <br>JPY2,500 a bottle. <br><br><a href="http://bit.ly/rnN318">http://bit.ly/rnN318</a><br>
<br>...The information janitors/<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>--------- BIOS - Bilingual IT Systems and Support ---------<br><br>BiOS full-service IT solutions has a new service.<br>
<br>Now the largest independently owned bilingual IT support<br>company in Tokyo, BiOS offers some of the most competitive<br>services available to multinationals whether large or<br>small.<br><br>Data Center staff and managed services, Help Desk, desktop,<br>
and network support. Server virtualization, cloud computing<br>hosting and solutions, general software development. <br><br>For more information on these and other SI and IT services,<br>in English or Japanese:<br><br>Phone: (03) 4588-2220, Email: <a href="mailto:solutions@biosjp.com">solutions@biosjp.com</a><br>
Web: <a href="http://www.biosjp.com">www.biosjp.com</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>+++ NEWS<br><br>- New tax hikes likely in 2012<br>- Tohoku tsunami paddies to convert to cotton<br>
- Softbank commits US$200m to fast-growing mobile ad company<br>- SourceNext to sell what others give away for free<br>- 47,756 hit the ton -- age-wise<br><br><br><br>-> New tax hikes likely in 2012<br><br>The government Tax Commission has proposed taxing regular <br>
employees, companies, and the sales of alcohol and tobacco <br>to partly fund the JPY13trn in reconstruction costs in <br>Tohoku. There was also a suggestion of raising consumption <br>tax, but PM Noda quickly killed that idea as his government<br>
wants to reserve additional consumption tax for future <br>pensions and health care coverage. ***Ed: Either way you <br>look at it, things look grim for Japan's consumer economy <br>from next year. First the increase in income and corporate <br>
taxes, then within 3 years we will have dramatically higher<br>consumption taxes.** (Source: TT commentary from <a href="http://wsj.com">wsj.com</a>, <br>Sep 9, 2011)<br><br><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110916-704627.html">http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110916-704627.html</a><br>
<br>-> Tohoku tsunami paddies to convert to cotton<br><br>In a surprisingly fast move, a group of yarn/garment <br>manufacturers and an agricultural company have banded <br>together to create the Tohoku Cotton Project. Their <br>
objective is to help farmers rehabilitate their salt-laden<br>rice paddies by planting cotton for some years, until <br>irrigation and time lower salt levels to a point where <br>rice can be planted again. Apparently cotton is able to <br>
tolerate salt levels twice that of rice. Around 58,000 <br>acres of rice farmland has been affected and will take 3 <br>years or longer to remediate. (Source: TT commentary from <br><a href="http://pbs.org">pbs.org</a>, Sep 16, 2011)<br>
<br><a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/world/july-dec11/cotton_09-16.html">http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/world/july-dec11/cotton_09-16.html</a><br><br>-> Softbank commits US$200m to fast-growing mobile ad company<br>
<br>Bangalore-based InMobi, a mobile ad firm with access to <br>340m users in over 165 countries, has just received a <br>massive commitment of US$100m from Softbank within this <br>month, and another US$100m in April 2012. Apparently the <br>
investment gets Softbank a minority stake in the Indian <br>firm, which Softbank's Masayoshi Son justifies by stating <br>that "The partnership will help Softbank become the No. 1 <br>Internet company in Asia". ***Ed: Will be interesting to <br>
see what special rights Son has bought himself with this <br>expensive purchase.** (Source: TT commentary from <br><a href="http://reuters.com">reuters.com</a>, Sep 16, 2011)<br><br><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/16/idUSL3E7KG0A920110916">http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/16/idUSL3E7KG0A920110916</a><br>
<br>-> SourceNext to sell what others give away for free<br><br>Software retailer SourceNext is betting that it knows the <br>Japanese consumer market better than it knows itself, by <br>offering for sale ten new Android apps that users could <br>
otherwise simply pick up off the Android Market. The plan <br>calls for the new Android apps to be distributed amongst <br>some thousands of retailers, presumably as CDs in shelfed <br>packages. The company appears to be looking for low-price <br>
impulse sales in stores where customers are buying an <br>Android phone. ***Ed: It's a gutsy move, and given <br>SourceNext's previous successes with low-cost PC software, <br>who knows, they could compete with online distribution. <br>
Stranger things have happened!** (Source: TT commentary <br>from <a href="http://marketwatch.com">marketwatch.com</a>, Sep 16, 2011)<br><br><a href="http://bit.ly/nYxd4x">http://bit.ly/nYxd4x</a><br><br>-> 47,756 hit the ton -- age-wise<br>
<br>The Ministry of Health has announced that a record 47,756 <br>people in Japan are now aged 100 or older. 87% of the <br>centenarians are women and the oldest is Chiyono Hasegawa, <br>who is 114. In light of a pension-collection fraud last <br>
year, the Ministry has confirmed that all acknowledged <br>oldsters were in fact alive when the numbers were <br>collected. ***Ed: In 1999, Japan had just 11,346 <br>centenarians, indicating a worrying trend that the <br>
population of those of extreme age will probably climb <br>significantly for another 40 years -- when the dankai <br>generation finally passes through that age bracket.**<br>(Source: TT commentary from <a href="http://google.com">google.com</a> and AP, Sep 13, <br>
2011)<br><br><a href="http://bit.ly/qqTNE2">http://bit.ly/qqTNE2</a><br><br><br>NOTE: Broken links<br>Many online news sources remove their articles after just a<br>few days of posting them, thus breaking our links -- we<br>
apologize for the inconvenience.<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>+++ CANDIDATE ROUND UP/VACANCIES<br><br>=> BiOS, a Division of the LINC Media group, is actively<br>marketing the following positions for customers setting up<br>
or expanding in Japan, as well as other employers of<br>bilinguals.<br><br>** HIGHLIGHTED POSITION<br><br>BiOS is urgently looking for a Helpdesk Engineer with <br>experience in providing IT support to end users in the <br>
office of our client in the Bunkyo-ku area. The candidate <br>will be responsible for providing level 1 and 2 support to <br>approximately 300 end users who are predominately Japanese,<br>as well as providing ad-hoc support to engineers who <br>
provide level 3 support. You will also be responsible for <br>creating workflow manuals for IT team and end-users.<br><br>Due to the technical nature and demanding work environment,<br>this position is suitable for someone with solid experience<br>
as a helpdesk or desktop engineer supporting day-to-day <br>office environment. In addition, since this role requires <br>extensive communications with IT engineers and end-users in<br>English, daily conversational-level communication skill in <br>
English and native-level communication skill in Japanese <br>are required.<br><br>Remuneration is JPY3.5m – JPY4.5m depending on your <br>experience and skill level.<br><br>** POSITIONS VACANT<br><br>- Global Network Operator, global IT co., JPY3M – JPY3.5M<br>
- Sales Assistant, BiOS, JPY3M – JPY3.5M<br>- Proj Mngment Officer, global insur. co, JPY10M – JPY13M<br>- IMAC Engineer, global ibank, JPY4M – JPY5M<br>- Vendor Manager, global insurance co, JPY7M – JPY10M<br><br>Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:<br>
<a href="mailto:tomohiro.kimura@biosjp.com">tomohiro.kimura@biosjp.com</a><br><br>** BiOS Job Mail<br><br>Every 2 weeks BiOS sends out a regular communication to its<br>job seeking candidates, called BiOS Job Mail. Every edition<br>
carries a list of BiOS's current and most up-to-date<br>vacancies, with each entry featuring a short job<br>description and a direct link to the main entry on the BiOS<br>home page. Regardless of whether you are unemployed and<br>
searching, thinking about a career change, or just curious<br>to know if there is something out there that might suit you<br>better, the BiOS Job Mail newsletter is an easy and<br>convenient way for you to stay informed. If you would like<br>
to register for the BiOS Job Mail, or to find out more,<br>please email <a href="mailto:kenji.sakota@biosjp.com">kenji.sakota@biosjp.com</a>.<br><br>Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:<br><a href="mailto:tomohiro.kimura@biosjp.com">tomohiro.kimura@biosjp.com</a><br>
<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>+++ UPCOMING EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS<br><br>--------- Japan's Most Popular Leadership Training --------<br>
<br>Japan's most popular leadership training is called Action<br>Learning, and was pioneered by Professor Reginald Revans<br>of the UK in the 1940's.<br><br>A published expert in the field of Action Learning is Dr.<br>
Michael Marquardt, Prof at George Washington University,<br>DC. Dr. Marquardt will personally be in Japan, conducting a<br>series of seminars for major Japanese corporations, and has<br>agreed to do a single presentation for foreign managers as<br>
well. Hear how Action Learning can transform your work<br>force.<br><br>Title: "Impact of Action Learning: What difference are we<br>making in the world?<br>Speaker: Dr. Marquardt, President of World Institute for<br>
Action Learning<br><br>Date: October 27, 2011, 10:00-13:00(13:30)<br>Venue : Tokyo American Club (Tokyo, Japan)<br>Fee : JPY 15,000 @(including lunch)<br>Contact : <a href="mailto:info@ldcjp.com">info@ldcjp.com</a><br>03-6809-1144(English-Gledis Action Learning)<br>
03-6680-2698(Japanese)<br><br><a href="http://www.ldcjp.com/seminar/20111027M.html">http://www.ldcjp.com/seminar/20111027M.html</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br>
<br>+++ CORRECTIONS/FEEDBACK<br><br>In this section we run comments and corrections submitted<br>by readers. We encourage you to spot our mistakes and<br>amplify our points, by email, to <a href="mailto:editors@terrie.com">editors@terrie.com</a>.<br>
<br>In TT629 we covered a short story on a historic court <br>acquittal of a Jewish drug mule on the basis of expert <br>testimony from a US witness, testifying as to the <br>practices and mindset of the particular sect the man <br>
belonged to. A reader now educates us as to some of the <br>background to this case and why it is so significant. We <br>certainly appreciate the feedback.<br><br>=> Reader says:<br><br> It is certainly a good thing you included a link to the <br>
original <a href="http://digitaljournal.com">digitaljournal.com</a> article because your summary <br>of the article was poor. I found your choice of headline <br>particularly bothersome considering the landmark nature of <br>
this case. The article points out that this was the first <br>time the testimony of a US law enforcement official was <br>accepted as evidence in a Japanese court yet you fail to<br> mention that point entirely. You also seem unaware of the <br>
involvement of the local Jewish community on behalf of <br>the three young men. <br><br>*** We respond:<br><br>Thanks for reading. Within the limited scope of the news<br>extracts/comments, we used the words, "historic", "first",<br>
"expert testimony from US witness"... so we don't think <br>anything of importance was missed here.<br><br>The fact that the Jewish community was deeply involved is <br>a common element in other similar cases, so while it was <br>
important, it wasn't unique (although as you say, it may <br>have been pivotal in his acquittal). When UK citizen Nick <br>Baker was incarcerated on similar charges, the UK community<br>rallied and put tremendous pressure on the Japanese. We <br>
believe the US expert testimony to be the real point of<br>note here and I have mentioned this, as brief as it is.<br><br>The reason we put links in the newsletter is so that people<br>can read in more detail what we have found and highlighted.<br>
The intent of the news pieces is a short mention of <br>noteworthy news, nothing more and nothing less than that.<br><br>=> Reader replies:<br><br>The situation for these young men is different in so much <br>as their cultural context is so different due to their very<br>
strict religious lifestyle which is not easily accommodated<br>in a Japanese prison. <br><br>Perhaps more importantly, in this case it was actually the <br>local Chabad rabbi, Mendi Sudakevich, whom they thought <br>they were supposed to be delivering something to, who <br>
provided support to them and to various members of the <br>overseas community who traveled to Japan to support them <br>with their case.<br><br>Chabad is rather unique amongst the chassidic sects in that<br>they send rabbis out to all corners of the globe to set up <br>
local "Chabad Houses" to provide support and community for <br>resident or visiting Jews. Since 2000, Chabad of Japan has <br>been providing a place for regular prayer minyans, holiday <br>services, kosher meals (impossible to get a kosher meal<br>
retail here) as well as the full range of lifecycle events<br>according to the Orthodox Jewish tradition. Although Chabad<br>is an Orthodox sect, all Jews are made to feel welcome at a<br>Chabad House. Part of all this also includes visiting and <br>
supporting Jews who find themselves on the wrong side of <br>the law in Japan.<br><br>As a side note, Chabad will be hosting a festive meal and <br>services for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, at the end<br>of September and full services for Yom Kippur and Sukkot in<br>
October. Their website is <a href="http://chabad.jp">http://chabad.jp</a>.<br><br><br>***********************************************************<br>END<br><br>SUBSCRIBERS: 8,835 members as of Sep 18, 2011<br>(We purge our list regularly.)<br>
<br>+++ ABOUT US<br><br>STAFF<br>Written by: Terrie Lloyd (<a href="mailto:terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com">terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com</a>)<br><br>HELP: E-mail <a href="mailto:Terrie-request@mailman.japaninc.com">Terrie-request@mailman.japaninc.com</a><br>
with the word 'help' in the subject or body (don't include<br>the quotes), and you will get back a message with<br>instructions.<br><br>FEEDBACK<br>Send letters (Feedback, Inquiries & Information) to the<br>
editor to <a href="mailto:terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com">terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com</a>.<br><br>ADVERTISING INFORMATION<br>For more information on advertising in this newsletter,<br>Contact <a href="mailto:ads@japaninc.com">ads@japaninc.com</a>.<br>
<br>SUBSCRIBE<br>Get Terrie's Take by giving your name and email address at<br><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up">http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up</a>, or go<br>straight to Mailman at:<br>
<a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie">http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie</a><br><br>BACK ISSUES<br><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take">http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take</a><br>
or, <a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/">http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/</a><br><br>Copyright 2011 Japan Inc. Communications Inc.<br><br>----------------- Japan Inc opens up Japan ----------------<br>
<br>J@pan Inc is Japan's only independently published English-<br>language business website. Authoritatively chronicling<br>online the business trends in Japan, each posting brings<br>you in-depth analysis of business, people and technology in<br>
the world's second largest economy.<br><br>Visit <a href="http://www.japaninc.com">www.japaninc.com</a> for the best business insight on<br>Japan available.<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br><br><br><br><br>